Rangitu Netana

admin August 08, 2017biography

For Te Rangitu, practising Ta Moko [traditional tattooing] carries with it the responsibility of acknowledging his Maori beliefs and educating others in those beliefs too. He feels it is vitally important to respect his culture and its traditions, and to encourage that respect in others as well. When I arrived for our interview, he greeted me with a traditional welcome; he welcomed my ancestors, who were walking with me, and also his ancestors, who were gathering. Even though he is living away from New Zealand, he feels it is important to continue these traditional practices. “You’re away from your culture so it seems a little weird sometimes," he says, "but you make sure you do it.”

Acetates World

admin July 20, 2017biography

Originally from Spain, Acetates (real name Joaquin) has firmly established a place for himself on the international tattoo scene. And it's not hard to see why, with a style that effortlessly combines the traditions of Japanese folklore and Irezumi with Western pop-culture influences to produce visually stunning and highly desirable tattoos. We spoke to Acetates during a recent guest spot in the UK, to learn more about his journey into tattooing and his love of Japanese art and culture.

Enter The Dragon

admin July 18, 2017biography

Following in the wake of the great navigator Marco Polo who brought back wonders from China in the 13th century, Crez found his own source of wealth in the Asian culture of tattooing. After grabbing his first machines when he was 17 and making his way through different styles, he decided to specialise in Japanese. At 40 years old, Crez is still the punk-rocker he used to be and more than ever as a tattooer, he is determined to perpetuate-from his studio Adrenalink in the city of Marghera near Venice-the dialogue between East and West.

The SERPENTS of BIENVILLE

BLOOD MAGIC

admin July 18, 2017biography

If you’ve never been to Sacred Tattoo in New York City, you’re missing out. Not just because it’s an amazing shop, but because the gallery space it houses is one of the best in the country. Take a look at Sacred Gallery’s latest two-person solo show featuring new works from Nick Baxter and Jon Clue and you’ll soon be forced to agree.www.nickbaxter.com • jonclue • www.sacredtattoo.com

Hot News

CAN YOU HELP? (August)

Police are trying to identify a woman tragically killed in a recent road accident involving a lorry. She is described as slim with shoulder-length hair and a tattoo of a unicorn on her left shoulder, and she was wearing jeans, boots, a t-shirt and an engagement ring. The accident happened on the A1139 in Peterborough at around 7pm on Sunday 9th July and, at the time of going to print, the police have sadly not yet been able to trace any next of kin. (The lorry driver stopped at the scene and we understand no arrests are being made in connection with the incident.) If you have any information that might help, you are asked to call the Road Policing Unit on 101, quoting reference CC-09072017-0504.

BROOKLYN BECKHAM TATTOO (July)

Brooklyn Beckham, David Beckham’s eldest son, is in the news because of his first tattoo. He’s come under fire on social media because it’s an image of a Native American – apparently influenced by one of David’s tattoos – and many are calling it disrespectful and culturally insensitive because he has no personal connection with Native American heritage. Others are more supportive, praising him for being inspired by his father’s ink. His next tattoo, less than a week later, was less controversial; it was an image of a camera.

SHARING THE ANIMALS’ PAIN (August)

Australian vegan activist Dimitrios Kailaris recently took empathy to a whole new physical level by undergoing a phenomenal twenty-four hour tattoo challenge. His aim: to raise awareness of veganism, and raise funds for future projects, by very visibly sharing the pain endured by so many non-human animals. He was tattooed by four vegan artists – three of them simultaneously on one day, and one of them the day before. In interviews afterwards, he described the experience as among the toughest of his whole life. He said the pain was indescribable, but he kept thinking about all the animals who cannot walk away from pain inflicted on them by humans – and he told himself that he could not walk away either. He said the hardest part was when his nipples and belly button were being tattooed at the same time, and he had a difficult time recovering from the ordeal afterwards, but having VEGAN tattooed across his stomach makes him feel he is truly living and breathing the vegan philosophy. You can find out more at July saw a very special tattoo event in New York. Eleven of the city's most well known tattoo artists got together to tattoo survivors of the 9/11 terror attacks and the emergency crews who helped them. Physical scars were covered with top quality artwork and mental scars were acknowledged too, as the eleven people were tattooed with designs that they themselves had created in collaboration with the artists. The event was organised by Artists 4 Israel, who describe their overall mission as bringing beauty, healing and protection to communities and people ravished by fighting through their arts and culture-based humanitarian aid, and helping all people, regardless of race, religion, gender or national origin, to overcome the struggles of living in crises. Following a similar event for victims of terrorism in Israel, they came to New York at the invitation of the Police Department and the Fire Department and the community of 9/11 survivors. www.gofundme.com/vegankids or email sacredscribble@gmail.com and you can read an interview with Dimitrios at www.plantbasednews.org/post/shari ng-animals-unimaginable-painvegan- activist-does-24-hour-tattoochallenge

A HORSE OF A DIFFERENT COLOUR (July)

Here’s a news story that somehow feels both beautiful and unnerving at the same time, depending on your point of view. New Zealand artist Benjamin Lloyd has decorated a horse with a spectacular (non-toxic) airbrushed temporary 'tattoo'. There’s been a variety of reactions on social media. Whilst some are loving it and commenting that this could be the next trend in the field of equestrian fashion, others are quite understandably expressing the opinion that it shows a lack of respect for the animal. You decide! (In Total Tattoo Issue 142 we featured a News item about Benjamin bringing muchneeded fun and laughter to young patients in a children's hospital by giving them their very own airbrushed 'tattoos'.)

TATTOOING AS TORTURE (August)

This is one of the most horrifying tattoo stories we've ever read. According to news reports from Brazil, a teenager who was caught allegedly stealing a bicycle was forcibly tattooed across his forehead with the words 'I am a thief and a loser' (in Portuguese). The tattooist and an accomplice have reportedly been arrested and charged with torture, but the teenager's whereabouts are currently unknown.